Kibbutz man killed in Hamas mortar attack 

Jimmy Kedoshim, 48, father of three, was killed in a Palestinian mortar attack on Friday (9th) as he was tending the garden of his home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza.  Kedoshim was laid to rest in the kibbutz cemetery Sunday afternoon (11th). 

Palestinians in Gaza fired 21 rocket at Israel Saturday (10th), causing injuries as well as damage to buildings, including the Sderot synagogue and a structure near Sapir College. 

Ha’Aretz, 5/12) 
 

Palestinian rocket lands near school bus Sunday 

A Palestinian rocket landed in Sderot near a school bus carrying children on Sunday (11th).  The bus’ windows were shattered, a fire broke out nearby, and three children were treated for injuries.  Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. 

(Ynet, 5/12) 
 

Monday – Rocket lands near school 

The first rocket that struck Ashkelon on Monday (12th) landed near an elementary school.  One woman suffered from shock and several houses sustained damage.  Another landed in the Ashkelon National Park.  It was reported that the rockets were of the Grad type from Iran. 

(Ynet, 5/12) 
 

Israel on high alert as sectarian clashes rage across Lebanon for 6th day 

Israel’s defense establishment has raised its intelligence alert in case Hizbullah decides to exploit its hold on Lebanon to wage an armed conflict south of the Litani River, Army Radio reported Monday (12th). 

Hizbullah guerillas seized west Beirut over the weekend and sectarian clashes have raged across Lebanon between the group and pro-government fighters for six consecutive days.  Over 100 people of been killed in the fighting. 

(Ha’Aretz, Army Radio, 5/12) 
 

Hamas militant killed in Gaza explosion 

A member of the militant group Hamas was killed in an explosion along Gaza’s fence with Israel, the group said Sunday (11th).  The Hamas organization said a member was killed and another injured during a “holy mission,” the language used when explosives meant for an attack on Israel blow up prematurely. 

(AP/Washington Post, 5/12) 

Preparations for Bush visit move in to high gear 

Preparations for U.S. President George W. Bush’s arrival in Israel on Wednesday (14th) have moved into high gear in the Jewish state.  Five enormous C-17 cargo planes, carrying mainly security equipment for the visit, landed at Ben Gurion International Airport on Monday (12th).  The cargo includes armored cars and helicopters that will escort the president throughout his visit.  Bush will be in Israel for the 60th Birthday celebration of the state, and will address a conference of world leaders hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.  He also will address the Knesset and take a tour of Masada. 

Ahead of the arrival of President Bush and other world leaders, police have raised their alert in Jerusalem to one level below emergency deployment.  Some 8,000 police will deploy for the duration of Peres’ conference and the Bush visit. 

(REKA News, 5/12) 
 

EU condemns Iran leader’s anti-Israel remarks 

The EU presidency on Friday (9th) condemned “in the strongest possible terms” anti-Israel remarks made by Iran’s hard-line President Ahmadinejad, who called the State of Israel “a stinking corpse.” 

Ahmadinejad’s comments “are unacceptable, damaging and uncivilized,” the EU’s Slovenian presidency said in a statement. 

(AP/Washington Post, 5/12) 
 

Jerusalem approves bridge to Temple Mount 

Jerusalem city officials have approved the construction of a new bridge to the Temple Mount.  The bridge’s path will protect archeological findings in the area, they said.  The old bridge providing access to Jews and other non-Muslims was damaged in an earthquake several months ago.  When workers tried to fix the bridge last year, Muslim leaders accused them of attempting to destroy the Al Akas Mosque located on the Mount. 

(Arutz-7, 5/12) 
 

Tel Aviv more crowded than Gaza 

Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab and other have written that Gaza is “one of the most densely populated places on earth, with 3,823 people per square kilometer. 

However the Tel Aviv metropolitan area has a density of more than 5,000 people per square kilometer, which is considerably more crowded than Gaza. 

(Daily Alert, 5/12) 
 

Irena Sendler dies – saved 2,500 Jewish children during Holocaust 

Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who helped save some 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazis by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto and giving them false identities, has died.  She was 98 years old. 

Sendler died at a Warsaw hospital on Monday morning (12th) according to her daughter, Janina Zgrzembska.  She had been hospitalized with pneumonia for over a month. 

(Ha’Aretz, 5/12)